


Paper Flowers

by Groucho Stark (TotallyInsaney)



Series: Flowers [2]
Category: Animaniacs
Genre: Estrangement, Gen, Kidnapping, Murder, Murder Mystery, Police, Protective Siblings, Stalking
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-12
Updated: 2021-02-26
Packaged: 2021-03-17 15:47:03
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 19
Words: 12,483
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29352924
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TotallyInsaney/pseuds/Groucho%20Stark
Summary: 20 years after Dot escaped the clutches of a madman, she spends her days tracking down missing toons as a private investigator. Toon kids start turning up dead and dolled up to look as she had years ago. As she gets deeper into the case, nothing seems to make sense. Can she find the killer... Before he gets her?
Relationships: Dot Warner & Original Character(s), Dot Warner & Wakko Warner
Series: Flowers [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2156157
Comments: 58
Kudos: 40





	1. Little Sister

**Author's Note:**

> So, I found myself thinking about The Prettiest Flower about a week or so ago. And how much I hated the ending. But, like I said there, it ended the way it had to. Because of what Yakko did. So I got to thinking, and was like, "You left the door open. There's more that can be explored here." Thought about things a bit more, looked through TPF, and was like, "Holy shit, you're right!"
> 
> And now here we are. I asked, and got some positive responses (tbh even one would've been enough) so we're doing this! Fair warning, it may be a bit crazier.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, I'm actually gonna shift focus between Dot and the killer. Because whereas with Norman his intentions kept shifting, this one is focused only on Dot. And I have a better understanding of how he works.

He walked down the stairs holding a tray with some chocolate chip pancakes and orange juice. When he opened the door, she looked up at him in terror. Her claws on one hand were all chipped from presumably trying to rip off the toon cuff from her arm. There were scratches around it to further back it up.

"Good morning, baby sister. How did you sleep?" He asked, placing the tray in front of her.

"Why are you doing this to me? Who are you?!" She cried, her entire body shaking from fear.

He shook his head with a chuckle. "I'm your big brother, silly. Did you forget?"

"Why are you doing this?! I don't know you!" Tears were running down her face.

"I don't know what you're talking about, sis. I'm just trying to take care of you. Just like a good big brother should."

She started trying to back away from him, but not getting far due to the chain on her leg. "Let me go! You're crazy!"

He reached out and grabbed the chain, dragging her back to him. "I am not crazy! I'm your brother, and you're not being very nice right now."

"Leave me alone!" In response, he backhanded her. When she cried out more, he hit her again.

She struggled against him, scratching at his arms. Now enraged, he threw her to the floor. Her head hit the concrete hard with a sickening crack.

"No! Nonono! You're not supposed to do this!" He cried out, flipping her over. She wasn't moving. 

This wasn't how things were supposed to go at all. That selfish little brat ruined everything. No matter, the show must go on. He stomped down onto her leg, breaking it.

He unlocked the chain from the floor and carried her to the bathtub. From there, he cleaned her up a bit and fixed up her face.

After all, she had to look the part. She already had the black fur and longish ears from being a dog toon. But she didn't have the right face. He took care in painting her face and nose, and then placed a daisy clip into the fur on her head.

"There we go. Now don't you look so cute, baby sister?"

He wasn't able to get her to the exact spot that he had planned, but it was close enough. Before leaving her, he smoothed out the creases in her pink dress and left a white glove on her chest.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know who you're thinking, and all I can say is he might be and he might not be. I kind of enjoyed doing the hidden identity thing in Never Go Back, although whereas that was for shits and giggles (since it was obvious), this time things aren't so clear. Mostly because you don't want it to be the obvious answer.
> 
> Shit, I'm rambling, sorry. Leave a kudos if you enjoyed, and drop a comment telling me your thoughts so far. Love hearing 'em.


	2. Detective Dot

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Little intro to Dot. I think this is only a natural progression of things.

Dot Warner had just successfully closed a missing toon kid case. The kid had thankfully been found safe and sound, much to the relief of the parents. They couldn't thank her enough even as she was getting into her light pink mustang.

But she was just doing her job. At age 29, the toon had made a name for herself by working as a freelance detective specializing in finding missing toons. This was after going through police training and deciding the force wasn't gonna cut it. She needed to be on the ground with everything, not just being saddled with desk duty from some know-it-all chief.

Most people would assume that the toon would go into modeling, fashion design, politics, or even hop back into the spotlight of acting. And while she had aspirations of one day being a savvy business woman or a model once upon a time, those dreams faded after being kidnapped.

The police and detectives had been entirely useless in her case. If it hadn't been for crazy luck and sheer determination, Dot never would have made it out alive. After that day, and a boatload of therapy, she made it her mission to never let anyone else go through what she had.

As she drove down the interstate, her phone started ringing. Dot glanced to see who it was, frowning when it came up as unknown. However, she clicked to answer anyway.

"Hello, this is Dot Warner." She answered, putting on her professional face.

There was some heavy breathing, and then "Hey baby sister." The person on the other line sounded like they were speaking through a filter to pitch down and scramble their voice.

"I'm sorry, I think you must have the wrong number. You don't sound like-"

"Dot, it's your big brother. I'm gonna come see you soon." He replied with a smile in his tone.

She narrowed her eyes, gripping the steering wheel tighter. "Who is this?"

"Norman sends his best." With that, the person hung up. Dot's blood ran cold.

At the name, she started breathing heavier, so the toon quickly pulled onto the side of the road. Dot hadn't heard that name in years. He was dead. Whoever that was, must have thought they were being really funny.

She was just getting herself back on the road when her phone rang yet again. Now furious over the last phone call, she immediately laid into them.

"Listen asshole, call this number again and I will reach through this phone and knock your teeth down your throat so hard you're shitting them out for weeks!"

".... Is this a bad time?" Instantly her anger deflated.

"I'm sorry, Wak. I just got a really nasty prank call." She replied, feeling guilty about snapping.

"You okay?" He asked, concerned.

"I'm fine. What did you need?" The last thing she needed was Wakko trying to go mother hen on her.

"Hmm? Oh, right! How did your case go? I know you said yesterday you were going after the kid this afternoon."

"It went good. Kid was with his grandma who wasn't allowed to see him, but she gave him up without much struggle." To be honest, she had been hoping for a fight from the old biddy. Just from how she talked about the parents made Dot really hate her.

As if reading her mind, Wakko commented in amusement, "You almost sound disappointed about that."

"I am, a little bit. She was a witch." Dot told him everything about the woman as she drove.

"Yeesh, she sounds like a real piece of work. Anyway, I'm gonna let you go, so you can get home. I left you some food in the fridge for when you get back, because your kitchen is a graveyard."

"Only because I'm rarely home. Is it actual edible food or one of your zaney experiments?" Dot teased with a grin.

"I don't recall you complaining about my chocolate bacon milkshake. But yes, it's just a simple chicken and broccoli casserole."

"Ooh, that actually sounds really good. If I'm not too tired when I get back I'll have to try it."

When Dot arrived home several hours later, she reheated the casserole and munched on it while watching trashy reality tv. It was her usual way of decompressing after a long case. At some point in the middle of Cheating Housewives, she fell asleep.

She woke up the next day with the tv off and a blanket over her. Wakko must have stopped by on his way to work. Dot stood up and went to the kitchen to brew some coffee, which was about the only thing she kept stocked in her apartment.

As it brewed, she grabbed her stack of mail from the counter and started flipping through it. Junk. Junk. Bills. More junk. Ooh, a coupon for half off on a spa day. But like she'd ever find the time.

Once her coffee was done, she poured some into her sassy unicorn mug and dumped a bunch of sugar in. Perfect. From there, she went to her office to flip through emails.

Beside the computer on her desk was a picture of her and her brothers at her graduation from the police academy. Yakko couldn't have been prouder. 

Dot smiled sadly as she looked at the picture. That day had been the last time she had seen her oldest brother. Sure, he had called and texted for a bit, but after a few months he went quiet. That was 8 years ago.

She had been looking for him, even going so far as to hiring her own private investigator. But no dice. It was like he had completely dropped off the earth.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, I have a soft spot for stories of people getting past their trauma by helping other people. And I like reading crime dramas. I actually kind l of got inspiration from Allison Brennen books. I won't say which ones in specific as far as the killer, but they are good. But, Fear No Evil kind of had me putting Dot as an investigator, because that's kind of what happened with one of the characters after going through a massive amount of trauma. If I remember correctly the kid actually went for FBI or something.
> 
> I'm rambling, I'm sorry. Leave a comment telling me your thoughts. And drop a kudos if you enjoyed.


	3. Big Brother

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Now we're getting into the mystery.

He stared at the apartment building across the street. She was definitely home, because he saw her pink mustang in the parking lot. But he couldn't make a move just yet. Too early.

A little black bunny toon walking up the sidewalk alone caught his eye. She appeared to be around 6, which was younger than he tried to go for, but beggars can't be choosers. And after all, he hadn't caught Dot's attention yet, so why not try again.

* * *

After going on a quick jog and taking a well needed hot shower, Dot drove to her actual office, which was located beside the diner where Wakko worked. It was small, but she made it work.

She answered some emails and organized her files while drinking more coffee. Wakko dropped by at a quarter past one to drop off lunch. It was a turkey BLT, some chips, and a small cup of mixed fruit.

He sat the plate on the desk in front of her with an expectant look. She glanced up from her computer with a raised eyebrow.

"I'll eat it in a minute, I'm busy right now."

"You say that, but I am gonna stand here until you do."

"Why? I don't need an audience to eat." Dot replied, annoyed.

Wakko crossed his arms. "What was the last thing you ate?"

"That chicken casserole… last night." She slumped down in her chair.

"Eat. A hungry brain isn't a productive brain. You're gonna end up crashing." He stated, taking a seat in the chair across from her.

"Fiiine. You are such a mother hen sometimes." Dot grumbled, taking a large bite out of the sandwich. It was amazing.

"Someone has to." Wakko muttered, snagging a chip.

"I guess you're right. Without you constantly up my ass I'd have probably worked myself into the ground by now." She mused with a smile.

He scrolled through his phone, his expression matching hers. "And don't ever forget it…." Wakko trailed off and his eyes went wide as he stared at his screen, the smile fading.

"What? Wakko, what is it?" Her eyes narrowed, feeling a mixture of concerned and confused.

"There was a little toon girl that had gone missing a few days ago. She was just found, but…" There was a strange tone of fear in his voice.

"Wakko, what's going on?" She was starting to feel anxious from his tone.

He began to read from the article, his entire body shaking. "She was a black dog toon, about 8 or 9. They found her with her face painted white, her nose painted red, a daisy clip on her head, and wearing a pink dress. Who does that make you think of?" 

"This is bad. This is very bad…" She began to tap her fingers nervously on the desk.

".... There's more. She was also found with a white glove on her. A toon glove." Dot looked up quickly.

"Wakko, they don't think…." She couldn't finish her thought, not wanting to even consider it.

Her older brother on the other hand looked very unsure. She didn't like that.

"I don't know."

"Wakko, please tell me you're not actually considering this." Dot stated, struggling to keep herself calm.

"I just said, I don't know. It's been 8 years, and 20 since he…" He started pulling on his ears nervously.

It had taken Wakko a year before he spoke again after everything, and close to another 10 years before he fully opened up to Dot about what he had heard of Yakko murdering Norman. It was chilling, to say the least. Still, Yakko had only done it to protect Dot. To ensure that Norman would never hurt her again. And both of them knew that he'd never hurt them, right?

"Wakko, no. Think rationally about this." She pleaded.

"I am. Look, I've got to get back to work. I'll talk to you later. Love you sis." He gave her a quick hug and walked out the door.

Once Wakko left, she dumped the rest of the food into her trash can and started making some phone calls. She was gonna get to the bottom of this.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, Wakko and Yakko seemed to be on the same page with the Norman situation back in TPF if you'll remember. And they were for the most part, but that was before Yakko disappeared.


	4. Police Work

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It wasn't intentional, but this is a very slow burn. Don't worry though, things will pick up soon.

"You know, I was actually just about to call you." Officer William King said when he answered the phone. He was one of the few police officers that Dot was friendly with.

"Wouldn't have anything to do with that little toon girl you found, would it?" Dot asked innocently.

"As a matter of fact, yes. Her and the other two."

Dot blinked, confused. "... I'm sorry, other two? The article only mentioned one."

"That's because the public only really knows about the one. We weren't able to keep a lid on the most recent one. We're not trying to cause a panic. Rule of three and all." William replied grimly.

"So talk to me. What are we looking at here?" Dot asked, trying to treat it like any other case.

"All three were female animal toons, between the ages of 8 and 9. Two dogs, one cat, and all had black fur. They were found with their faces painted white and their noses painted red, a daisy clip on their heads, and wearing a pink dress. Two had a broken leg premortem, one had her leg broken postmortem."

Dot scribbled down notes as he spoke. "Why break her leg after death?"

"Hard to say, but it looks like she died before he got what he wanted out of her. Coroner report has her death ruled from head trauma, possibly from a fall. The other two died from electric shock." The statement made her pause.

"He messed up…" She mumbled. "Any witnesses to their kidnappings?"

"Only for the second girl, Terri Barkley. It was an anonymous tip. Said the kidnapper was male, wearing all black except for a pair of white gloves. And that he had a long black tail." As he described the kidnapper, Dot began to fidget nervously.

"Any leads?" There was a slight tremor in her voice and she mentally kicked herself.

"Have you spoken to your older brother recently?"

"Yes, I talk to Wakko all the time." It was childish, but she didn't want to even entertain the thought.

"Dot, we both know he isn't the one I'm talking about." William's tone was sympathetic.

"... No. I haven't spoken to him in years. But that doesn't mean he's the one doing this!" She tapped her foot on the floor, feeling very anxious.

"And we're not saying he is. But even you have to admit what this looks like. Just try to stay out of our way on this one." He stated.

"Goodbye Will." Dot replied, immediately hanging up. She buried her face into her hands, shaking.

It was bad enough that Wakko seemed on the fence about this, but now she had the police department to contend with? Dot opened the top drawer of her desk, pushing away pens and papers to pull out an old photo from about a month before she had been kidnapped.

"Yakko, please tell me this isn't you…"

* * *

He opened the door, smiling when he saw that the girl was awake. "Good morning, baby sister. How'd you sleep?"

"Who are you? I don't know you!" She cried, shaking in fear. He shook his head.

"I'm your big brother, silly. And we're gonna have a lot of fun together, okay?" He said, reaching out to pet her head. She wasn't right. Why had he grabbed a rabbit? Sure, the ears were close, and she was the right color… but her teeth were too big, her tail just a small bit of fluff. It wasn't right. Still, he had to make this work.

"I want my mama!" The girl cried out.

"We don't have a mama. It's just you and me, sis."

"You're not my brother! You're not a bunny! You're-" He cut her off by backhanding her.

"I am your brother. And if you don't start respecting that, I'm gonna have to punish you." The toon took a deep breath. He'd have to be more gentle this time around. He couldn't risk another mistake like last time.

As he walked out the door and back up the stairs, he could hear her screaming after him. It was fine, no one outside could hear her.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> He kinda bugs me, not gonna lie. I think it's because he isn't like Norman. He's different.


	5. The Nightmare

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I love nightmare sequences, what can I say?

_Dot opened her eyes to find herself lying in a field of daisies in a rainbow of colors. The sky was a sea of fluffy white clouds, and there was a warm breeze blowing through the flowers._

_As she sat up, there came the sound of a child's laughter from behind her. When Dot looked around however, there was no one else there._

_"C'mon sis!" A small gloved hand grabbed onto here. The voice belonged to a much younger Yakko, about 5 years old._

_Though she felt very confused, Dot allowed herself to be led through the flowers. At one point, he let go of her hand to run ahead of her. "Yakko! Wait for me!"_

_The field of flowers turned into a long hallway. She started running, but couldn't catch up. He was getting farther away._

_At the end of the hallway was a door. "C'mon!" He exclaimed before disappearing through it. The instant it shut she was standing in front of it._

_Slowly she opened the door and walked inside. There was nothing but empty darkness. "Yakko?" She called into the void._

_When the door shut behind her, the lights came on. As Dot looked around the familiar room, she wished the lights had stayed off. Everything from the tea set, the bed, and the bathtub was exactly as it had been so long ago._

_An arm wrapped around her torso from behind, pinning her arms to her side. "Hey there, cutie. Did you miss me?" The familiar voice turned her blood to ice._

_"This isn't happening." Dot mumbled._

_"Wrong."_

_"This isn't real." She stated, keeping her eyes straight ahead._

_"Getting warmer." His tone was amused._

_"You're dead!" Dot tried to struggle, but it was as if she was rooted in place._

_"And…?" Norman chuckled._

_"Let me go! You're not real, this is just in my head!" She snapped._

_His grip loosened and she shook his arm off. Dot moved to run, but stumbled due to a shackle appearing on her leg and going taut._

_Norman smirked, leaning down to her level. "And you've just won the game. But even though this is just in your head, I am very real," He reached out to stroke her cheek gently. "You were always my favorite little toy…"_

_Dot spat in his face and he grabbed her by the ears. "I'm not afraid of you! You're dead!"_

_Norman stood up and placed Dot on her feet. "I suppose a part of you is right… But I do know what you're really afraid of." A small bloodstain appeared on his shirt and began to expand. She backed up, and Norman started laughing._

_"No… No!" Yakko walked into the room with a dark smirk, holding a bloodstained knife._

_Without saying a word, he jammed the blade into Norman's neck, dragging it downward. Blood began to spray from the cut like a hose, covering everything. Still, Norman kept laughing._

_When his laughter finally ceased, Yakko shifted back into the younger version of himself. Only this time he still had the knife, and was covered in blood._

_"I'm sorry…" He whimpered, raising the knife to his throat._

_"No!"_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *casually sipping coffee* She isn't completely scared of Yakko. A very small part of her thinks the killer is him, but a larger part doesn't. Regardless, he still scares her. Just because of what he's capable of. Even though Norman wasn't a nice guy, what Yakko did to him was fucked up. And I could've had him do more. Originally I was gonna have Yakko tear out his heart to finally kill him, but changed it last minute.
> 
> What do you think though? I love hearing your thoughts.


	6. Clues

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Back into the detective work. Also, a bit of brutality in this chapter, just gonna give the heads up now. The dude isn't very nice to the bunny girl.

Dot sat up in her desk chair as something heavy slammed down beside her head. "I'm up!" She blurted.

"Didn't mean to interrupt, but you looked like you weren't having the most fun kind of dream." Officer Shaun Fang said. He was a toon wolf cop, and also one of the people closest to her aside from Wakko.

"Sorry, I didn't even realize that I had fallen asleep." Dot rubbed the sleep from her eyes.

"I would have called about this new case earlier. I heard you talked to William. I'm sorry."

"It's fine. I just heard about it earlier today. I didn't get back home till last night." Shaun sat down across from her.

"So, how about I buy you a drink?" He offered. She raised an eyebrow.

"You know I don't drink."

He rested an elbow on the desk. "Okay then, we go grab some dinner together? My treat?"

"... Are you asking me on a date?" Dot asked in disbelief.

"What? No! You know I don't see you like that. It's just a casual dinner between two cohorts. Besides, you look like you could use some air. How do you breathe in here?"

"Haha, very funny. I'd like to, but Wakko probably is dropping dinner off at my apartment. Rain check?" She shook her head in mild amusement.

"Okay… Tomorrow then?" He offered, standing up.

"I'll think about it." Dot replied softly. Shaun nodded quickly.

"Good enough. Oh! Before I forget. Burbank! Specifically the area close to Warner Studios. That's where the girls have been found."

"Should have guessed. Thank you." A file was placed on her desk.

"This is everything I could get from our investigation. I wanna help you on this. Anyway, I have to get going." Shaun stated, walking out the door.

This was good. Now she could see what the station was looking at. Like William had said, each of the girls had been found with one leg broken, and two had died from electric shock. They all had marks on one arm, as if from wearing a tight bracelet.

"Toon cuff…" Dot rubbed her arm subconsciously. She shook her head quickly.

When her neck started to feel stiff, Dot decided to head home. She grabbed the folder and locked up her office for the night, mulling everything over on the drive.

There was no way that this was Yakko. He'd never do anything like this. The only reason the cops thought it was him was because it was convenient. After all, the killer was obviously trying to get Dot's attention. And family is usually the first place to check.

* * *

Her crying was starting to grate on his nerves. This is why he should have gone a bit older. He may as well have taken an infant. And no matter how hard he tried, he couldn't get her to stop.

"C'mon sis, it's okay. I'm right here with you. I won't hurt you, just please stop crying." It also didn't help that everytime he looked at her, she had those big buck teeth on display. He really should have waited. Dot already knew, like he had planned.

Still, it would be a waste to get rid of this one so soon. Though those teeth were an eyesore. He took a pair of pliers, and grabbed her face with one hand to hold her mouth open. She screamed and clawed at him, but couldn't escape.

"There we go. Now that is much better." He patted her head, and stuffed a small towel on her mouth to soak up the blood.

"I wan' my mama…" She whimpered.

"Aw, it's okay sis. You'll be with mama soon." He crooned, stroking her head gently. Soon enough, he'd have the real thing, and then he wouldn't have a need for these… cheap imitations.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> He's cold. All I can say. And Dot is doing all she can to stay in denial. Which may or may not be a good thing.


	7. Paranoia

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Moving right along here.

As she figured, when Dot arrived at her apartment, Wakko was there taking a pepperoni pizza out of the oven. "And here I was thinking I'd have to drag you out of the office tonight." He teased, turning off the oven.

"Not tonight. Though I will probably do some digging in here tonight before going to bed." She replied, grabbing a clean plate from her dishwasher.

"In your actual bed this time or your desk chair?" Wakko asked jokingly as he sliced up the pizza.

"The former. I'm getting too old to be sleeping in chairs," Dot stated, grabbing a piece of pizza. "Oh yeah, and thanks for checking up on me this morning."

Wakko looked at her with a confused expression. "What are you talking about?"

Dot took a bite of pizza before replying, "You turned off my TV last night and put a blanket over me. It was nice of you, so I'm saying thank you." 

"I didn't stop by this morning. I was running a bit late to work, so I didn't have time."

Dot froze, feeling slightly uneasy. "Then who was here this morning? You're the only one with a spare key."

Wakko leaned against the counter. "You might have dreamed of it? It's probably nothing. I didn't see anything weird when I got in to fix dinner." He shrugged, swallowing three pieces of pizza without even chewing.

"You're right. I'm just being overly paranoid." Dot mumbled.

"And you have every right. You've got a psycho targeting you. I'd be worried if you weren't paranoid." A bit later, Wakko hesitated at the door.

"Are you sure you don't want me to stay the night?"

"I'll be fine, Wak. I'm a big girl, I can take care of myself. Now go." She said, shooing him out the door.

Once Wakko was gone, she decided to clear her head with a bubble bath. Dot grabbed her phone and went to the bathroom. She put on a relaxing playlist while pouring in a eucalyptus and spearmint bath soak that Shaun had given her for Christmas.

She closed her eyes as she sunk into the warm water, breathing deeply. This was nice. Before she had a chance to get too comfortable however, the door to her apartment opened.

Thinking it was just Wakko, she called "I told you to go home, Wakko! I'm fine by myself!"

When he didn't answer, she groaned in annoyance. He could be such a pain at times. Dot stepped out of the tub, quickly drying herself off somewhat and pulling on her bathrobe hanging on the door and tying it around herself firmly.

"Wakko! Go home now!" She shouted as she stepped out of the bathroom. However there was no one there. "This isn't funny Wakko."

She walked through her apartment, but found no trace of her older brother. Dot sighed, feeling almost foolish as she walked to her door. Clearly she was just hearing things. After all, her door was still locked.

With that little false alarm cleared up, Dot decided to go back to her bath. Right as she was reaching the bathroom door though, an arm wrapped around her torso from behind and pinned her arms to her sides. Another arm came up to put a firm hand over her mouth.

"Don't scream." A voice said directly into her ear.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Guess who? Your first instinct is probably correct.


	8. Familiar Face

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, I feel like this was a duh kinda reveal. It's kinda like the biker from Never Go Back. The instant he came on scene, you can tell who it is.

Don't scream? What was she, damsel in distress? Dot stomped down onto her attacker's foot before whipping her head back into his face and elbowing him. As he stumbled back, she whipped out a large mallet and smashed him in the chest with it. He was sent across the room, crashing into her coffee table.

"Do not tell me what to do, creep!" She snapped, walking up with her mallet at the ready. As Dot finally got a good look at her attacker, she froze.

"Nice to see you too, sis." Yakko groaned as he sat up. He looked rough to put it mildly. His fur was a bit shaggy, and he had a scar on his face from a blade of some kind.

"What the hell is wrong with you?!" Dot cried angrily.

"I wasn't trying to sneak up on you. I'm sorry. How are things?" His tone was entirely too casual for her liking. When Yakko was on his feet, Dot punched him in the face. "Ow! What the hell?!"

"Sorry? You're sorry?! You've been gone for 8 years, and you're sorry?! Where have you been? I've been searching for you for years, you dick!" She cried, gripping her mallet tightly.

"It's complicated. I'm s-"

"Then uncomplicate it before I get your face acquainted with my mallet. And you're gonna need a much better word than sorry!"

Yakko held up his hands in surrender. "Look, I know you're mad…"

"I'm a lot more than just mad. I am angry. I'm furious! I! Am! ENRAGED!" She shouted with a very firm glare.

He shot her a slightly charming smile. "You know, you're awfully cute when you're a- Ow!" Dot cut him off by whacking him with the mallet.

"That doesn't work on me anymore, bub. Start talking. Now!"

"Okay, okay. I… I had to leave, I should have told you guys, but I knew if I did, then I wouldn't have been able to. And I needed to go." 

"For 8 years?! Why? What reason could you possibly have to ABANDON your family?!" She cried, now feeling very confused and hurt.

"I know I hurt you in a way that I promised that I never would. But you have no idea how hard it was for me to walk away. I left because I needed clarity, and with you two right beside me, I never would have gotten it." He explained.

"Clarity on what? Are you saying we're holding you back or something? Like a chain keeping you prisoner?" The anger was starting to come back.

"No! Let me explain. I needed clarity on me. You two are the only things in my life keeping me from completely falling apart."

"Then why leave?" Dot couldn't understand.

"When I went to do… what I did, I was angry. Really, really angry. And scared. It was like this weird burning feeling inside. But then when I was in the moment, I actually felt… at peace. Like I was something else. Afterwards, that feeling terrified me. And then you two found out what I did, which made things worse. I did what I could, pushed the feelings away and ignored them." As he spoke, Yakko got a distant look in his eyes.

"So then what? What kind of clarity did you find? That you're secretly into murder?" Dot half joked with a nervous chuckle.

"No. But I have something inside me, and it's dark. All of what I did, I tried to bury it. I tried to justify it because of what he did to you. But the truth of it is… it's me. And I think it's always been there. I just never saw it because I always had you two keeping me in check."

Dot took a hesitant step back. The suspicions against him were beginning to make sense. "How does that work?"

"I can't really explain it. It's just the way I feel. Like when we were kids, and I'd be taking care of you. You two bring out the best in me, always have." Yakko stated plainly.

Dot took another step back, and his expression became confused.

"Dot, what are you doing? I'm not gonna hurt you." He calmly stepped towards her, as though she were a caged animal.

"Why come back now?" She inquired, stepping back again.

"I have a feeling you already know."

Her back hit the wall and she froze. "Get out.

Hurt flashed across his face before being replaced by exasperation. "Dot, I know what this looks like. But you have to trust me. I had nothing to do with it."

"I said get out!" Dot cried, balling her hands into fists. Her mind was racing, and couldn't make sense of anything.

"You actually think I did this? I'm not some crazed psycho, I'm your brother-" His eyes were starting to well up and his expression was that of extreme anguish.

"Just stop! I don't know what to think! But I need you to leave, right now! So just go!" 

"... Okay. I'll go. I'm sorry, I… I… I'll just go." Yakko stated, all but running out the door.

Dot collapsed to the floor the moment she heard the door close. She buried her face into her knees and screamed.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Dot isn't in a good spot, and Yakko really couldn't have picked a worse time for a little family reunion.


	9. Closer to Home

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Things are getting weirder. Don't you worry about it though.

Who did she think she was? Denying him after all he had done for her? The girl was sobbing quietly as he ran a brush through her fur and hummed. She was gonna ruin her face paint, but he couldn't find it in him to care.

After all, once Dot found him he'd have no use for the girl. And he felt like that day was drawing nearer.

"Don't you worry, sis. You'll be able to go home soon." He crooned as he placed the daisy clip on her fur.

Dot would be with him soon. And then he'd never let anything keep them apart. Especially not Him.

* * *

Dot forced herself to her feet after several hours. Sitting around letting herself panic wasn't helping anything. After getting dressed and fixing a pot of coffee, she pulled out a map of LA, zeroing in on the Burbank area and cross-referencing the files to see where the three girls were found. Just as Shaun had said, they were all found somewhat close to Warner studios. Except for the third victim. She had been found a little ways away.

As she looked at the map and the connected locations, something stood out to her. The area where the third girl had been found was eerily close to the very house where she had been held captive. Feeling very curious now, she looked into the address. The home had been empty for years.

The sound of someone clearing their throat behind her had Dot turning around and throwing her empty mug. Wakko caught it in his mouth as he stepped forward. 

"Don't do that!" She exclaimed. He placed the mug onto her desk.

He gave her an apologetic expression. "Sorry, I wasn't trying to startle you. You weren't at your office. Late night?"

"Something like that. I've been working, and I think I'm getting closer."

"Really? That's good, because he kidnapped another girl." Wakko replied. Dot's eyes widened.

"Wait, what? How do you know for sure?"

"When you weren't at your office, I stopped by the police station. They mentioned another girl. A bunny. By the way, why is your coffee table in pieces?"

Dot gathered up the papers from the file. "I knocked Yakko into it." She said distractedly.

"What?! You actually saw him?! When?" Wakko exclaimed, looking around.

"Last night. He came to talk to me." She began pacing around the room. Something wasn't adding up.

"The police are actually looking for him. Arrest on sight. Evidently someone saw the kidnapping, and mentioned him by name."

"But that makes no sense!" Between Yakko's visit and what Wakko had said, she was feeling very confused.

"Just telling you what I heard. Now, what have you got?" She glanced back at the map.

"Can you give me a ride?" Dot asked. There was no way in hell she was going back to that house alone. 

"Absolutely."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Taking a visit to the home of her tormentor. Where could this go wrong?


	10. Old Wounds

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Deeper into the rabbit hole we go.

Dot's jaw clenched as they pulled up to the house. Even Wakko looked a bit uncomfortable at the prospect of going into the house. It wasn't just the place of Dot's torture after all; it was also the place where Yakko had killed Norman. As Dot stepped out of the car, her phone started ringing. The caller was unknown.

Thinking quickly, she turned on her recording app before answering. "Hello?"

"Hey baby sis. You're getting closer. I can't wait to see you again." That same distorted voice said. Her blood ran cold as she looked around. Was he watching her?

Taking a quick breath, she put on her acting face. "Why not come get me now? I'll clear my schedule and we'll grab some food and catch up." Dot said, motioning Wakko to look around. He nodded and walked around the house and through the neighborhood. 

"Oh, you know I would. But that would ruin all the fun, baby sis. And I know how you love games." She grit her teeth.

"What do you want?"

"I just want you. By the way, who was at your apartment last night? You got a boyfriend that I should know about?" His questions made her pause.

"What? No, I don't have a…." There were two options. Either this guy was Yakko, and he was messing with her head, or it wasn't Yakko. The latter was beginning to feel more and more likely.

Wakko spied a car a few blocks up from the house with a figure all dressed in black holding a phone. They also had a black tail. "Hey!" He called, rushing towards the figure.

Dot glanced up as she heard Wakko's yell. "I'll see you soon, baby sister. Very, very soon." And then he hung up.

The middle Warner chased the figure through the neighborhood, but lost them in a patch of trees. He trudged back to Dot with his tail between his legs. "I almost had him."

She held up her phone, feeling slightly hopeful. "I have him recorded, but I'll need Shaun to descramble the voice." 

Dot sent the file to Shaun while the two of them looked around the house. It was clear that the killer wasn't using the house as his base of operations because the house looked as though it hadn't been lived in since Norman lived there. Everything was untouched, but falling apart.

When they reached the garage, Dot completely froze. The entire room was clear, but the door to her prison had been opened. She took a very deep breath and shook her head.

"You don't have to do this. We can go back if you want." Wakko offered. Dot shook her head no.

"Yes I do. He wants me here for a reason, I just know it." She stated firmly before making her way down the stairs with Wakko at her heels.

Dot opened the door without hesitation and stepped inside. It was almost exactly as she had left it. Same table and chair, same bed, and the same tub. All of it was covered in a fine layer of dust. A major difference however was the walls. They were covered floor to ceiling with pictures of her, some old, and some as recent as a few days ago. A few had her with Wakko, but his face had been scribbled out with a marker.

And in the midst of all of the pictures, a message had been painted on the wall in red. "I'm always watching you, baby sister."

".... That's disturbing." Wakko commented, finding his voice before her.

"There's an understatement." Dot muttered, whipping out her phone to snap some pictures. Shaun hadn't replied about the file, but she didn't think anything of it. She'd see him tonight.

Wakko drove her home after they left the abandoned house. "I'm staying tonight. That's non-negotiable."

"Wakko-"

"No! You have a psycho after you, and he could get you any time he wants. I'll stay here in my car if I have to, but you're not being alone." He stated firmly.

Knowing that he had his mind made up, Dot relented. "Fine. But, I'm having dinner with Shaun tonight, so I may be back late."

"Okay. Now, I have to get back to work. Call me if anything happens." He ruffled the fur on her head before she got out of his car.

"Sounds good to me."

* * *

Great, he should have known Wakko would end up involved. Though he honestly wasn't much of a threat. He'd be able to take care of him if the need for it arose. Anything to keep him away from her.

As for the other… Him. He'd be no issue soon enough. The plan would have to move along quicker though to ensure his success. Dot would be his soon enough. As she always was meant to be. And he'd eliminate anyone and anything that could jeopardize that. Just as a good big brother should.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Is it beginning to make sense? I feel like I should be stroking a cat like a bond villain or something. It's kinda fun being cryptic.


	11. Taken

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The truth is closer than you realize... Okay, sorry I'm milking it with this whole cryptic bullshit thing. It's just so fun. Don't worry though, everything will come out soon.

She finally got an answer from Shaun about her phone call, and confirmed dinner plans. After a quick shower and a change of clothes, Dot went to meet up with her friend.

"So, where are you at with your investigation?" Dot asked Shaun once they were seated at a slightly more upscale italian restaurant.

"Still in progress, but we're getting close. I cannot wait to nail that sick bastard to the wall." He replied with a half smile.

"Any headway on that recording I sent you?"

Shaun hesitated before shaking his head no. "Not yet. Unscrambling takes time. But I promise you, I will not rest until Yakko's behind bars," He took a sip of water. "Or six feet under." He added thoughtlessly.

Dot looked up at him in horrified confusion. "What? No! Do not do that!"

Shaun's eyes went wide and his face flushed. "Shit, I'm sorry. That's still your brother we're talking about. Excuse me, I don't know where my head was. It just pisses me off that he could be doing something like this."

"But you don't know that. It could be someone else." She snapped. What had gotten into him?

"Dot, who else could it be? The writing is pretty much on the wall here. He's clearly gone off the deep end, and wants you for some kind of sick and twisted game."

"I don't know! Maybe Norman had someone related to him or something and they wanna keep his game going!"

"You're looking at him through rose lenses, Dot. He isn't your brother anymore. He's a killer."

Dot stood up from the table. "I'm not listening to this. I don't know what the hell has gotten into you, but you don't know Yakko like I do." Shaun followed her as she stormed out of the restaurant.

"You mean the same guy who peaced out of your life eight years ago? That's almost a decade. A lot can change in that time, and you've said before he's got issues."

"He's still my big brother! And he'll always be my big brother, no matter what! I… just leave me alone!" Dot walked back to her car.

"Dot! Don't walk away from me!" She raised her middle finger to him as she climbed in and drove off in agitation.

Instead of driving home, Dot decided to drive around LA to clear her head. Wakko would call if he got worried. Half an hour into her drive, her phone started ringing. Without looking at the caller id, she hit to answer.

"What?!" She snapped.

"Is that any way to talk to your brother?" Even with his voice distorted, his tone was irritated.

"You again. What do you want?" Dot asked after calming her tone. He did still have a child hostage after all.

"That's better. You're gonna drive to the neighborhood over from Norman's house. There's a little blue house with a red mailbox. You're not gonna tell anyone about this. Not Wakko, not the cops, or your little boyfriend. I'll know if you do, and if I catch a whiff of anyone else, then the girl dies. Understand, baby sis?"

"... I understand." She replied shakily.

"That's a good girl. I'll be waiting." He hung up before she could say anything else.

Luckily, Dot wasn't that far from the neighborhood, so she pulled a few houses down from the one he mentioned. Never noticing the car a little ways behind her.

She went around the side of the house, looking for an alternate way in. There was a cellar door around the back that had been chained shut. Dot pulled out a pair of bolt cutters from her hammerspace and snapped the chain open before hopping in.

It was dark inside, and she could hear a small voice whimpering in fear. The girl. "Hello?" Dot called, taking out a flashlight. There was a large door by a set of stairs.

"Who's there?" It was definitely the voice of a girl. She made her way to the door and picked the lock.

Inside was the missing toon girl, with a chain on her leg hooked into the floor. "Hi, sweetheart. My name's Dot. I'm here to help you."

"I'm Daisy. Are you a superhero?" She asked, showing a gap in her mouth from where her teeth had been violently pulled.

Dot gave her a small smile before cutting the chain from her leg. "Something like that."

She gathered the girl into her arms carefully, carrying her out of the basement the way she came. A car pulling into the driveway had her ducking into some bushes.

She spared a glance up the street, thinking of a plan. "Daisy, I'm gonna need you to be really brave for me, okay?"

"Okay…" Daisy replied, though she didn't sound sure.

"When I say so, you run as fast as you can up the street to that convenience store. No matter what happens, you do not stop until you get there." Dot commanded.

"What about you?"

"I'll be right behind you all the way." Dot hated lying, but she had to make sure the kid would be safe.

After hearing the door close, Dot stepped out of the bushes. "Go, now." Daisy ran off.

Dot moved to follow at least for a bit, but was stopped by something very heavy hitting her in the back of the head. As she stumbled, a toon cuff was snapped onto her arm. A pair of hands shoved her roughly to the ground.

As she started to lose consciousness, Dot was thrown over someone's shoulder fireman style. She tried to get a look at her attacker, but all she could see was black fur. And then everything went dark.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Do you see it now? If not, you'll see soon enough.


	12. Betrayal

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Poor Dot... Not really.

When Dot came to, she was lying on her back in the same room she had just gotten Daisy out of. She was still wearing the same clothes, thank goodness. Unfortunately her leg was shackled to the floor. It was an all too familiar situation.

A figure stood with his back to her, messing with something on a table nearby. "Yakko?" Dot mumbled as she sat up. He turned at the sound of her voice and her blood turned to ice. "Shaun?!"

He smirked. "I had you fooled good there, didn't I? Never doubted me for a second, right baby sis?"

"I… What?!" Shaun chuckled and shook his head slowly.

"Oh, you still don't get it, do you? All of this was done for you. Had to make you see, they don't deserve you."

"Why are you doing this?" Dot asked, trying to keep an even tone.

"Why? Because you deserve better than some asshole who up and leaves you for years. And I am better. I can take care of you, keep you safe." Shaun said, completely serious.

"Is that what the chain and toon cuff are for? My protection?" Her confusion was very quickly moving to anger.

"It's just until I get you all settled in. I have to tie up a few loose ends, and then it'll be you and me. Forever, my baby sister." He replied.

"I'm not your sister. I only have two brothers, and you're not either of them. So-" Shaun backhanded her in the face and grabbed her by the ears roughly.

"You better start being nice to your brother. Or I'm gonna start getting real mean, really quick. Understand?"

Dot grit her teeth. "Fine. I understand." Great, back to playing these types of games. Well, she had survived at nine years old. She could do it again, no sweat.

Yakko looked around the neighborhood in confusion. He had found Dot's car, but no Dot. A five year old bunny toon ran into him looking scared.

"She needs help!" She cried.

"Where?" He asked. The girl pointed to a blue house a little bit farther up the street before rushing off in the opposite direction.

Yakko sprinted up to the house, now extremely pissed off. He didn't care who took Dot or why, they were going down.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I think I was probably too subtle with my hints on it being him. Occam's Razor and all that. Everyone was so busy looking at Yakko(even though that would have been heartbreaking) that they never even noticed who else has been right there with Dot. One person came close.
> 
> But I will say, Yakko has been stalking her(technically) and he was the one who broke into her house. Shaun just doesn't know it, that's why he called him her boyfriend. He only knows that someone else has been closer to her, aside from Wakko.


	13. Rescue

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I was crying by the end of this chapter. Take that as you will.

Shaun went upstairs to go fix her dinner. The instant the door closed, she started screaming in rage. He ignored her cries, which was probably for the better.

How could she ever have even thought for a minute that Yakko would be capable of something like this? To her credit, Shaun had put up a good front. Everything he had done made it seem like Yakko was guilty. Now she was probably gonna die at the hands of a psycho, and Yakko was gonna get the blame for it.

The door opened again and she looked up. "Yak-" He moved quickly to her and covered her mouth with his hand.

"Shh… I'm here to get you out." Yakko said, using a pair of bolt cutters for the shackle on her leg. The toon cuff however, wasn't coming off anytime soon.

He lifted her up bridal style and moved to carry her back to the cellar door. Only to discover that at some point after he had snuck in, Shaun had relocked it on the outside.

"What now, hero?" Dot asked, sarcasm heavy in her tone. Though she rested her head on his shoulder, relaxing in his arms.

"Up the stairs, princess." Yakko adjusted his hold on her, taking Dot up the stairs quickly. Slowly and carefully, he opened the door.

Shaun was nowhere in sight, so he carried Dot out of the basement. He placed her back onto her feet and looked around.

"What are you doing?!" Dot hissed as he moved farther from the front door.

"Get out. I'll handle this." He whispered. She shook her head no and grabbed onto his arm.

"Absolutely not. We're not doing this again. You're taking me out of here, and then I'm calling this in."

Annoyance flashed across his face, but he conceded. "Fine. Let's go, princess." Yakko grumbled, tossing her over his shoulder casually.

"What? No! Put me down!" She growled quietly, struggling as he carried her through the house.

Just as he was reaching the front door, they heard a voice ask "Going somewhere?" 

Dot looked up to see Shaun standing a few feet away. "Crap."

Yakko placed her back down, claws out as he stood protectively in front of her. "I'm getting her out of here."

"No you're not. She's mine now. And I'm not gonna let you take her from me." As he spoke, Yakko casually patted something in his back pocket with a glance to Dot. 

His phone. Slowly, she reached into his pocket and pulled out his phone, keeping herself hidden behind his back. "I don't want to stay here, Shaun." Dot said, sending a text with the address.

"You will, as soon as I take care of him. And anyone else who tries to take you from me." He pulled a gun.

"You shooting me isn't gonna change anything. She isn't yours. Never was." Yakko stated calmly, taking a step forward.

Shaun waved the gun at him angrily. "What, so you think she's yours then?"

"Nope. I think she's her own person. She's actually one of the strongest people I've ever known. Dot doesn't need to be babied." While Yakko spoke, Dot took another step towards the door.

"No! You're not taking her from me!" Shaun yelled, moving to aim the gun firmly at Yakko.

In response, Yakko grabbed onto his arm, struggling to get the gun away from him. A gunshot was heard and everything froze. They glanced down and to Dot's horror, a red spot appeared and expanded on Yakko's chest as he collapsed to the floor.

"YAKKO!" She shrieked, moving to his side. Dot quickly shrugged off her coat, pressing it against his chest.

The barrel of the gun was placed against her temple. "Get up. Now." Shaun said coldly.

"He'll die!" Dot cried as she was forced to her feet. Yakko placed his hands on her coat weakly, giving her a small forced smile.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, first time is a fluke, second time is a coincidence, and we've hit three with how many times I've put Yakko close to death. And that isn't even counting the stuff I haven't posted yet. I have a problem....


	14. Barely Holding On

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Dot is a cocktail of emotions atm.

"I warned him. He should've listened to me." Shaun snapped.

The back door opened and Shaun looked up. She used the distraction to tackle him to the ground, wrestling the gun away. "It's Shaun! We're in here! Yakko got shot!"

He flipped them over and pulled out a knife, struggling to pin her down. "No! You're supposed to be mine!"

A large mallet knocked him into the wall. "Get away from my sister!" Wakko shouted. When he glanced at Yakko, his anger turned to concern.

"Good to see you, baby bro." He mumbled, blood dripping out of his mouth.

"You look like shit." Wakko blurted, getting beside him to put pressure on his wound while Dot called an ambulance.

"And here I was thinking getting shot would make me more refined." Yakko joked, coughing.

Shaun moved to get up, so Dot picked up Wakko's unattended mallet and smashed him in the head until his face was a bloody mess. "Stay down! Bastard!" She cried as she swung. 

Once he stopped moving, she dropped the mallet, stomping on his crotch for good measure before going back to her brothers.

Wakko's eyes were the size of dinner plates as he looked from her to Shaun, not saying a word. 

Yakko's face was a mixture of shock and slightly impressed. "... Holy shit, Dot."

"You okay?" She asked, running a hand through the fur on his head.

"I feel great…" Yakko mumbled slowly. His eyes began drifting closed.

Dot smacked his cheeks lightly, but firmly. "Hey, no! None of that! Keep talking."

He grinned sleepily. "What do you want me to say?"

"Anything. Just stay awake." Yakko blinked a few times, his expression going to confusion as he looked up at Dot.

"... Mom?" Wakko and Dot gave each other a confused look.

"No, Yakko it's Dot." He reached up to stroke her cheek, appearing slightly more lucid.

"I'm sorry… I fucked up…. You two were the only thing keeping me going…." Yakko murmured, looking at the two of them.

"It'll be okay. We can make this work." Dot grabbed onto his wrist.

"I just want you to know… I love you two, so much… And I'm proud of both of you…" Yakko's eyes drifted closed, and his hand dropped from her face.

"Yakko? Yakko?!" Dot exclaimed in panic.

Wakko checked his pulse. "He's still alive!"

When the paramedics arrived, Dot moved to force her way into the ambulance to be with Yakko, but was held back by Wakko.

"They've got this from here. You still have your police stuff to do."

She hesitated, watching them load up Yakko onto a stretcher and place a mask over his face. Dot wanted to stay with Yakko, but she knew Wakko was right. There was still unfinished business.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> We definitely aren't at the end yet. Believe me.


	15. Waiting

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm gonna say it right now. We're not finished with Shaun just yet.

William took one look at Shaun being loaded up on an ambulance and said, "Jesus. Who the hell did this?"

"I did. He had it coming for trying to frame and murder my brother, and murdering those girls. Plus he kidnapped me." Dot replied, glaring at Shaun while a paramedic removed her toon cuff.

"He's lucky that's all he got." Wakko mumbled, crossing his arms.

"Well, we have Daisy at the station. Her parents are on the way there now. I'll probably stop by the hospital in a bit to chat about what happened with you three. You should go be with your family right now." William replied, patting Dot on the shoulder.

"I… You sure?"

"Kid, I know you're wanting to see him. You should go. We have it covered here." He stated, waving her off.

Dot gave him a quick hug before pulling Wakko out the door. "I'm driving." Wakko said.

Without hesitation, she tossed her keys to him. "Deal."

The entire ride to the hospital was tense. Dot tapped her fingers nervously on the dash, hoping that Yakko would be okay. "Was this how it felt?"

Wakko glanced at her curiously. "How what felt?" Oh, evidently she had said that aloud.

"Years ago… when I made it out." Dot looked out the window.

"... No. This isn't like that at all." He shook his head no.

"What was it like?" That was something she had never really asked before.

Wakko took a deep breath out. "So relieving. Like a weight was off. Yakko was still stressed, but he definitely seemed to be doing better."

Dot nodded slowly. "Makes sense. I can remember feeling so scared after getting out. And then you two were just… there. And I wasn't scared anymore."

Finally, they reached the hospital. Wakko had barely stopped the car when Dot leaped out to get to the lobby. He followed not far behind.

"Yakko Warner. We're his siblings." Dot said quickly to a woman at the desk.

Without even blinking, she typed something on the computer and replied. "ICU. Go to the waiting room. Keep your hands clean, do not use your phones, and no flowers." After giving them visitor tags, she sent them on their way.

Wakko sat on a chair while Dot paced. She couldn't keep still, and Wakko looked too calm for her liking.

After a bit, she snapped "How can you be so calm about this?!"

He looked as though she had slapped him. "You think I'm not freaking out right now? I'm terrified. But panicking won't help anything."

"I… You're right. Just like always." She flopped into the chair beside him and he slung a reassuring arm over her shoulder.

"Not always, but I appreciate the ego boost. After all, you were right about the killer not being Yakko."

"But even I wasn't completely sure." Dot pointed out.

"But you still questioned everything. I don't think I would've done that." He had a slightly guilty expression.

"You can't blame yourself for this." She replied. Wakko nodded in response, but said no more.

Several more hours passed until a doctor finally came to talk to them about Yakko. He had a very serious expression on his face, which didn't improve the already tense atmosphere.

"Your brother is alive."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Duh, I'm not killing him off yet. Not here. Not now. Another time perhaps.


	16. Moment of Respite

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Everything is relaxed at the moment, but that isn't gonna last. There's still a few things that need to be cleared up.

Wakko and Dot jumped up. "He is?! Can we see him?! What's going on?!" It was like they were back to being kids again, full of nervous energy.

"He was very lucky. If the bullet had hit just an inch to the left, it would have pierced his heart. We have him on oxygen for a collapsed lung, and he had to have a blood transfusion since he lost a very dangerous amount of blood. Had they waited even a minute longer before taking him in, he'd be dead." The doctor explained.

"Can we see him, please?" Dot begged, holding onto Wakko's hand for support.

"You know the rules of the ICU?" They nodded quickly in response. "He's on a good amount of painkillers, so he may be a bit loopy, but he is somewhat awake. I'll take you to him."

The walk to the room seemed to last forever, with the hallways feeling endless. But after a bit, they finally arrived. Yakko was slightly elevated with a large bandage around his torso and hooked up to several machines.

Dot took a seat by the bed, reaching out and placing a careful hand on his. "You idiot…"

"M' sorry..." He mumbled, eyes drifting shut.

Wakko sat down beside Dot, patting Yakko on the leg and saying softly "You are insane."

Yakko cracked a small grin and replied. "Insaney and zany…"

At the statement, both Wakko and Dot started snickering. He was definitely gonna be okay.

For days after, he drifted in and out of consciousness. The entire time, Dot refused to leave his side, save for eating, going to the bathroom, or bathing. Wakko stuck by as well, taking some time off of work.

Shaun was in police custody, after he was released from the hospital. Dot had done quite a bit of damage to him with her mallet. Not only did he have a severely broken nose and a nasty concussion, but he had also been one hit away from his skull being caved in. Apparently he had needed several stitches in his face, from what William had told her.

She was still massively pissed at Shaun as well. The thought of having to see him again at court turned her stomach. How would she be able to face him without wanting to smash him into pieces with her mallet? The guy who had quite nearly taken away the closest thing to a father that she had. And for what? So he could play house with Dot?

"Dot? You with me?" Yakko waved a hand in front of her face, pulling her out of her thoughts.

"Yeah, sorry. Just got too into my own head I guess."

"You had steam coming out of your ears." He teased with a grin.

A couple of nurses came into the room with a stretcher. "Are you ready to get out of the ICU?" One asked.

"Am I ever. Take me away nurses, but be gentle. I'm fragile." Yakko joked, causing everyone to start giggling.

"You survived a bullet to the chest, that's hardly what I'd call fragile." Wakko replied with a teasing smile.

Yakko was loaded up onto the stretcher and wheeled away with Dot and Wakko following. It all felt so… normal. Like he had just been in some freak accident and not almost murdered by a psycho obsessed with Dot.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Shaun isn't a threat anymore, but that doesn't mean he's off the hook. His ass is parked at the very top of Dot's shit list.


	17. Scar Tissue

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Shaun will get his very soon. For now, we're focusing on Yakko. Specifically digging slightly into the past.

"How'd you get the scar?" A few days after being in a regular room, Dot was sitting on the bed beside Yakko and watching movies when she blurted out the question.

"... What?" He raised an eyebrow. In reply, she reached out and traced it with her hand.

"This scar. I've been meaning to ask about it. And about ten million other things from the last eight years."

"Knife fight actually. I was at a bar in Prague. Guy thought I was eyeing up his girl, so he pulled a knife on me. Managed to get a few hits in, but he gave me this and then I knocked him out with a mallet." Yakko told the story casually, as though he were talking about someone else.

"Prague?"

He nodded. "Told you, I was everywhere. I worked under the table to eat and have a place to sleep. Other than that though, I was more or less just drifting along."

"When did you come back?" At that question, he fidgeted uncomfortably.

"I mean, I was already here a bit before the news broke about the girl showing up dead." Yakko replied, coughing awkwardly. Dot pondered the statement for a moment.

"... You were spying on me, weren't you? And you broke into my apartment."

"In the clearest definition, yes. But in my defense, I was worried about you. Old habits die hard. And if I hadn't been following you, then I never would have gotten to you. So there's that." He shrugged, wincing slightly.

"You were stalking me. Why not just come clean from the beginning?" She didn't get it.

"I tried. You knocked me into a table, if I'm remembering correctly." Yakko stated with an amused grin.

"I mean before that. The instant you came back. Why not see me then?" Dot asked, still feeling confused.

"Can you honestly say it would have gone any differently than it did? I'm a giant fuck up, and you were rightfully pissed. On top of the fact that I already had police looking in my direction over the murders. I was better off staying back."

Dot nodded. She supposed that made sense. "I'm sorry about knocking you into my table by the way."

"Don't be. Barely left a scratch. Besides, I deserved it." Yakko replied, pressing a kiss to her temple gently.

As she opened her mouth to respond, Wakko strolled in with a bunch of pizza. "I brought some real food!" He exclaimed happily, placing the boxes on the side table.

"Mmm, I am sick of bland hospital food. Hand it over." Yakko said with a grin, reaching for a box.

As they were eating, Dot's phone started ringing. She hesitated for a moment before glancing at the caller id. It was William.

Feeling slightly worried, she left the room and answered. "What's up?"

"I really hate asking this out of you, but is there any way you could come to the station?" He definitely sounded drained.

Even though she had a feeling she already knew the answer, Dot still asked "... Why?"

"We're trying to weasel a confession out of Shaun, but he isn't budging. We're thinking maybe with your… connection to him, you could loosen him up."

Dot glanced at Wakko and Yakko who were still eating. Everytime Yakko moved, he winced in pain, and she placed a hand on her own chest subconsciously. She could handle this.

"... Dot? Are you still there?" William asked.

"Yeah, sorry. I'll be there. Just give me a minute." When Dot hung up, she walked back into the room.

"Who was that?" Her oldest brother asked, the fun mood now gone.

"William. I have to go to the station."

Wakko tilted his head curiously. "Why?"

"They wanna ask me some questions about everything. Put the pieces together." She lied smoothly.

Wakko appeared to be satisfied with the answer, but Yakko had a knowing look on his face. "Be careful out there. Don't do anything I'd do." He said seriously.

Dot nodded, giving her brothers a quick hug. Yakko pulled her back and leaned in, as if to kiss her head.

"I mean it. Don't," Yakko stated firmly. "Love you, sis."

"Love you too, brother. I can handle this." She pulled away, flicking Wakko's nose playfully before leaving the room.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm actually planning out a spin off of what Yakko was up to in the eight years that he'd been gone. Places he visited, things he did, and why he came back. He also didn't come back alone, just as a little sidenote.


	18. Mad Cop

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Dot is mad. Just as a warning, there is violence in this chapter. Like, she's taking all the anger out on him.

Dot was enraged, infuriated, aggravated, and just plain mad. It was like a fire had been ignited inside of her from the moment Shaun revealed himself, and it only burned more when Yakko was shot. True, she had already been pretty pissed off over him leaving for the better part of a decade, but that would heal with time.

No, her rage was better left to the real monster. Shaun had kidnapped and killed three innocent little girls, had come close to a fourth, attempted to frame Yakko, tried to kill Yakko, and had been taunting Dot before kidnapping her. He deserved everything that was coming to him.

She walked down the halls of the police station confidently with her chin up and shoulders squared. Dot knew people were watching her, but she ignored it.

"Hey, thank you for this." William said, standing outside of the interrogation room. Through the glass she could see Shaun sitting in a chair, cuffed to the table.

"I need unsupervised time with him. Please." Dot stated, keeping an even tone and an emotionless expression.

William was taken aback. "I don't…."

"Please. It'll be fine, I know I can handle this." William looked between her and Shaun through the glass reluctantly.

"... Fine. Ten minutes." He said. Dot nodded quickly.

"Deal." She really wasn't gonna need that long.

William cut the feed from the interrogation room and sent his men away while Dot walked into the room and shut the door behind her.

"Well, well, well. This is an interesting surprise." Shaun said with an amused smirk. He had several stitches down the entire side of his face from where she had busted his head in.

Dot kept her face blank as she closed the blinds, facing him down with not so much as a flinch. He didn't scare her, and she wasn't gonna let him rattle her.

"What? Did William send you in to bat your eyes and give a cute wittle pout? Soften me up so I'll spill my guts?"

"You're gonna spill your guts one way or the other. I just don't wanna make a mess on the floor." Dot stated with no emotion in her voice.

"Now that's cute. Does your big brother know you're here with me?" Shaun asked smugly.

She ignored the question, crossing her arms loosely. At her silence, he started snickering. Subconsciously, Dot began growling softly and her claws poked through her gloves.

"How is your big brother by the way? Heard he managed to survive the blow to the chest. Can't say I'm not disap-" In two seconds, Dot strode up behind him, grabbing Shaun by the back of the neck and slamming his face into the table.

"Let's get one thing straight here. The only reason you're still breathing right now is because Yakko is still alive." She hissed before pulling away.

"Fucking bitch!" He spat, blood running down his face.

"I'm not here to play little miss cutesy princess. This isn't a game, and it isn't for fun. I'm gonna be your worst nightmare, fucker."

"You're cute…" Shaun mumbled with a crooked grin.

In response, she kicked the legs of the chair out from under him, once more knocking his face into the table.

"I'm warning you. You're on thin ice here." Dot snapping.

"Scary. What, are you gonna kill me?" He asked.

"No. Because that would be a mercy. And monsters like you don't deserve mercy." She pulled a mallet from her hammerspace.

"What are you doing?" Shaun attempted to get to his feet, looking slightly nervous.

She gave him a cold smile, chilling him to the bone. "You really shouldn't have fucked with me."

"Dot, please!" She swung the mallet down hard on one of his legs, continuing even after he fell back to the floor. Once she was satisfied with his leg, she moved up to his hands.

"Dottie!" He pleaded. 

"DO NOT CALL ME THAT!!!" She slammed the mallet down onto his hands so hard it snapped the table in half.

Shaun howled in pain, quivering in fear. "Please! I'll do whatever you want!"

"Confess." Dot commanded.

"I'll talk! I'll talk!" He whimpered.

"Glad we could come to an understanding." She said in an overly sweet tone as the mallet was put away.

William's eyes were as wide as saucers when she left the room, brushing her hands together.

"I got him warmed up for you. He should be singing like a bird now." Dot patted him on the arm casually and left the station.

He had given her ten minutes. She had cracked Shaun in a little under six.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Obviously she couldn't kill him. But I put this in because there is an interesting parallel to be made between Yakko and Dot. Specifically with rage, because she does have a bit of a temper. I think that's been made clear from the beginning. Yakko is actually partially responsible for it.
> 
> So, when she was first kidnapped as a child, Dot never really had a chance to fully heal from it. Because of Yakko. Him killing Norman might have helped temporarily, but that bastard never saw proper justice(because what he did wasn't justice, it was torture). Yakko took that from her in his own anger. She just doesn't realize it.


	19. Settling Down

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So this is actually the end. I didn't realize that it was gonna be originally, but then I just kinda hit a wall. I'm working on the eight years that Yakko was gone though. And speaking of, a someone from that time comes in. She's... You'll see.
> 
> Oh, and I should probably mention that there are references to drug, alcohol, and I suppose something that could be construed in a sexual way. Okay, definitely something sexual.

"How was it?" Was the first thing Yakko asked when she walked in. Wakko was flipping through a cookbook by the window.

"Fine. It was completely fine." She replied evenly.

"He still in one piece?" At the question, Wakko looked up quickly.

"What did you do?" He asked. Dot waved him off.

"We just had a talk, I roughed him up a bit. No big deal."

Yakko looked slightly impressed. "The old bad cop, angry cop routine, eh? Atta girl."

Before any of them could say anything further, a knock came on the door. Specifically, shave and a haircut two bits. Wakko and Dot looked confused, while Yakko had an expression of wanting to disappear.

"I know you're in there, you prick!" A distinctly female voice with a New Zealand accent called.

"Oh shit." He mumbled.

"Who's that?" Dot asked, narrowing her eyes at him.

The door opened and in walked a woman with piercing blue eyes, dark hair, and a tan. "You! Are so lucky you have a hole in your chest right now because I'd punch you!" She pointed at Yakko with a very stern look.

"I know. I'm sorry, but-"

"I'm not finished!" She snapped, silencing the eldest Warner. "We came here together, first of all. Then you stranded me at the airport, ignored your fucking phone, disappeared, and didn't listen when I said take things slow! And now you've almost got yourself killed! Are you stupid?! Do you want to die?!" She ran a hand through her hair in frustration.

"Of course not, but Dot needed me."

"And it ended with you getting a bullet in the chest, you fucking idiot! I warned you to ease into things." The woman pinched the bridge of her nose.

"Has anyone ever told you that your eyes sparkle when you're angry at me?" Yakko asked, trying to give a charming look.

"Don't play that with me. And I'm not angry, you scared the hell out of me. I waited for you, freaked out as shit. And then I found out on the news that you had been shot. What is wrong with you?!"

"I'm an idiot? What can I say?" He glanced awkwardly at Wakko and Dot.

She followed his gaze, just noticing the other two in the room. "I'm so sorry, I- Wait a minute… You're Dot, right?" The woman said, looking between them.

Dot nodded. "One and only."

She pointed to Wakko next. "Which would make you Wakko."

"Yup." He replied, still feeling slightly uncomfortable.

"I'm sorry, I have completely forgotten my manners. I'm Lucy." She held out a hand to Dot, who shook it slowly.

"So… how do you two know each other?" Dot asked.

The two shared a look. "We… uhh… well, we're…" Yakko stammered, clearing his throat.

"Friends! We're friends… we met in Amsterdam, actually. About five years ago. Fun night." Lucy finished, patting the eldest Warner on the shoulder.

"Yup. And she's been stuck to me ever since." Yakko teased.

Lucy rolled her eyes. "More like, you've been following me like a little lost puppy. One that constantly gets into trouble. Honestly, it's a miracle that you've survived this long."

"I like to think it's because of my rugged good looks and quick wit- Ow!" His response was interrupted by Dot smacking his arm.

"Thank you for that." Lucy said, taking a seat beside Yakko.

"Rude." He grumbled.

"Oh, stop being so delicate. You're always so dramatic about things." She replied, rubbing his arm.

"Okay, time out for a sec because we are very confused. How did you two meet, and what does that have to do with why you're both here?" Dot asked, feeling completely lost.

"Long story. But the short of it is…" Lucy looked to Yakko as if silently asking permission to continue. When he nodded, she went on.

"Five years ago, your brother was in Amsterdam. We met at a party, he was in kind of rough shape, and started hitting on me-"

"I was doing no such thing!" Yakko cried, his face flushing.

"You asked me if I'd let you try on my jeans because you wanted to get into my pants. I'd call that a clear case of flirtatious banter."

Wakko and Dot chuckled at the commentary. Once they calmed down, Lucy continued.

"He was a bit drunk, and high on something. But I don't know what. We started talking, ended up… doing things. And then just hit it off. Realized we got on well." She was definitely leaving something out, but no one questioned anything.

Those answers would have to come much later. For now, Dot was just happy that things were finally starting to settle down. She had her family back together again, and the bad guy was gonna see justice. What more could she ask for?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And now it's over! Until the eight year thing. It's gonna massively be horse of a different color. He was kinda a mess. Still is, but less. Lucy was his savior, so to speak. They're not dating, exactly. It's kinda complicated. But we'll get to that.
> 
> Also, I have been dragged into the Yakko x Max Goof ship, so I've been on that kick lately. I'm kinda a hopeless romantic, so actually having a chance to write romance again is a welcome change. I'm still working on other stuff for these kiddos though, so don't you worry.
> 
> Plus, I take requests. You have any ideas (barring just a few) and I'll do it to the best of my abilities. In the meantime I would greatly appreciate your feedback. Love hearing thoughts.


End file.
